Weapons are fired with a purpose: to hit an intended target. A basic tenant of shooting is that the operator must have complete control of the weapon in order to make it perform accurately. A firm grip of the weapon is basic to achieving control thereof, and thus, accurate performance.
Because the functional characteristics of weapons, more particularly, rifles, cause them to be elongated, a forward gripping surface of a rifle is typically a long, rounded surface. Such forward gripping devices or hand holds are generally referred to as forends or forearms. The form or configuration of the surface of a forearm requires the operator to grip the rifle by positioning a hand of their outstretched arm in a palm-up fingers-spread fashion so as to cradle the forearm of the rifle in their palm, while encircling the forearm as much possible, with the digits of the hand. The diameter of the forearm is generally sized to the functional requirements of the rifle, and not the optimum gripping size for an operator.
The aforementioned described method of holding the forward control surface of the rifle is unnatural, uncomfortable, and fatiguing. To achieve the described grip, the operator must turn their lower arm away from its natural position facing the body to facing fully upwards, then partially extending the arm, and maintaining such position while gripping. This position constantly stress the muscles in the operator's lower and upper arm, and is a less-than optimal orientation or configuration for the arm to support the weight of the rifle for an extended period of time. Be that as it may, most rifles require the operator to assume this posture when carrying or using the rifle. Military users typically have their rifle in hand for many hours continuously. Likewise, hunters often engage in their activities for lengthy periods, and, sporting shooters handle their rifles for hours at a time practicing their competition skills.
Heretofore known approaches to supporting the forend of a weapon have been directed to the creation of a secondary gripping accessory, and a mounting rail attaching system to receive the secondary gripping assembly. Such special combination is known to provide the operator with a forend gripping surface more ergonomically functional, usually at a right angle to the weapon barrel.
Such grips, commonly referred as “vertical grips,” are accessories which are mounted to a weapon which is prepared in advance to receive such device via the addition of an accessory-mounting rail. Commonly, the rail is attached beneath the rifle barrel after the rifle forearm (e.g., a lower portion of a hand guard) has been removed, and the rail is positioned in place of, or substituted for it, although other rail systems are known (e.g., in lieu of substituting for the lower handguard, rails are available which operatively engage a portion of a handguard, a variety of accessory devices/articles being thereafter supported, suspended, etc. from the rail of the rail system). A variety of accessory-mounting rails are offered by a number of manufacturers with several styles of vertical grips designed to attach to accessory-mounting rails generally known and available.
Although accessory-mounting rails for installation under a weapon barrel are known, in addition to being a hindrance to a universal forend grip, the host weapon requires alteration with this approach. Furthermore, most rifle models currently being manufactured are produced with a rounded forearm as the primary forward gripping surface. Thus, the lack of forward gripping surface persists for operators of all rifles with rounded forearms.
Adding an accessory-mounting rail to a weapon to provide an attachment surface for a vertical grip adds complexity to the weapon that is not required, and hardly advantageous. It alters the appearance, overall design, and arguably the functionality of the weapon.
As heretofore known vertical grip products require weapons be prepared in advance, or modified in some way to receive grip, it remains advantageous, and optimal, to provide operators thereof with an ergonomic grip which can be instantly attached to an unaltered host weapon, i.e., as it exists, without the need for tools, or disassembly of any portion of the weapon. Furthermore, it is believed advantageous to provide an interface or attachment assembly which is readily mateable and secureable with the unaltered portion of the weapon, as well as an attachment assembly, or device per se which itself is adapted or is readily adaptable to support select accessories, e.g., a target illumination device.